Filler for a beverage container

ABSTRACT

The present invention comprises a filler material for a container having at least one compartment, which container is situated in a pressurized beverage container and, immediately after the beverage container is opened, is suitable for mixing the filling into the drinks liquid surrounding the container. The filling itself is in granule form of defined particle diameter and is composed, in particular, of the main component a) in the form of a food supplement and an effervescent component b). The component a) which should be present in the filling in amounts of between 35 and 98% by weight can also be pharmaceutical active ingredients, vitamins, creatine derivatives, phospholipids, probiotics, minerals, unsaturated fatty acids and any desired mixtures thereof. The fillings can be introduced into drinks liquids of varying pH, since, because of its solubility and due to the targeted selection of suitable effervescent and disintegrant components, can be rapidly and completely dissolved or suspended in the drinks liquid.

This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 11/131,921, filedMay 18, 2005, which claims priority from DE 10 2005 022 969.7 filed May19, 2005, and also from DE 10 2005 061 765.4 filed Dec. 23, 2005, eachof which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a filler material for a beveragecontainer. The filling material itself is situated in a container havingat least one compartment, which container is situated in a pressurizedbeverage container, the container being able to mix the filler material,immediately after the drinks container is opened, into the beverageliquid surrounding it.

Such combinations consisting of a compartment container and a beveragecontainer surrounding it are adequately known from the prior art. Thecompartment containers are usually called two (“twin compartmentwidget”) or multicompartment containers and serve for introducingspecial additives into generally carbonated drinks.

European Patent EP 1 073 593 B1 discloses a typical two compartmentcontainer which is used for introducing additives into beverages. Theseadditives are characterized in more detail as flavours, the main purposeof use mentioned being the flavouring of beer.

Published Application US 2002/0155199 also describes a typical twocompartment container which is able to float freely in the beveragesliquid surrounding it, it being suitable in particular for receivingliquids, pasty material, powders and solids. These fillings areflavorings, colorings and other agents, such as sugar and milk, which inthis case are to be introduced into coffee-containing drinks.

European Application EP 0 747 298 A1 also claims a capsule container forbeverages tins, the capsule container described there, however, beingcontemplated exclusively for introducing what are termed gas-jettingcapsules into beers.

The two-component container disclosed by International Application WO96/24542 serves for introducing hydrolysis-sensitive medicaments intoliquids.

Two-compartment containers and their filler materials are thus very wellknown from the prior art; however, the fillings in most cases develop nophysiological activity, but are only to be used for imparting certaincolour or flavour properties to drinks or beverage liquids. Only inexceptional cases do two-compartment containers containhydrolysis-sensitive substances which are then, however, solelymedicaments.

Granules having physiological activity are known quite generally fromthe prior art. The combination of nutritionally active granules inbeverage containers is also previously described. Thus, for example, US2004/0,071,825 teaches a high-protein food supplement in granule form.This food supplement is agglomerated and granulated in such a mannerthat it is present as oral administration form and is either absorbedimmediately after contact with the tongue or dissolves rapidly in anaqueous solution. The granulation described in this context provides, ina first step, moistening the supplement which is subsequently dried intosmaller agglomerated granules and is finally sprayed with aromatizingcompounds or effervescent compositions. The granules should be obtainedin this manner in particle sizes which are sufficiently small to beabsorbed rapidly in granule form via the tongue, or to be dissolved inaqueous liquids.

A vitamin- and mineral-rich effervescent formulation in granule form isdescribed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,427. To produce such granules, thestarting powder is first moistened with defined amounts of ethanol andsubsequently sieved and dried. Finally the dried granules are againsieved in order to break up unwanted caking and agglomeration. It isalso contemplated to package the resultant granules moisture-tightly infilm pouches which subsequently serve as dosage units. Should thesegranules be packaged in larger units such as cans or bottles, theyabsolutely need to be protected from atmospheric humidity, in order toavoid interactions between the constituents and premature outgassing ofthe effervescent component.

According to WO 2003/097478 A1, to enrich packaged beverage liquids, aspecial enrichment system for minerals is claimed. In this system, themineral-containing powder is first accommodated in a small containerwhich is situated on the tip of the drinks bottle. Simultaneously withthe opening of the drinks bottle, the pouch containing themineral-containing powder is opened by mechanical forces, so that itmixes into the drinks liquid. Opening the pouch is performed with theaid of a penetration operation, a screw or else a flap motion, in whichcase, in addition, small cutting devices can support the opening of thepouch. A similar system for fresh preparation of a drink is described inthe Japanese Abstract for JP 2002/114259. In this case, drinking wateris enriched with an aromatizing material which can be present in granuleform. In this case also, the enriching material is first situatedseparated off from the drinks liquid, in a separate container in the lidregion. By turning the closure, the granule container is opened so thatthe aroma can mix into the drinking water at the time of opening thedrinks bottle.

Starting from this prior art, the object of the present invention was toprovide filling materials for a container having at least onecompartment which, owing to their physical state, after their releasefrom the compartment container into the beverage liquid surrounding itare rapidly and completely dissolved or suspended in the respectivedrink and thus give the drink an additional nutritional or healthbenefit. The filler material should be suitable for a container havingat least one compartment, which container is situated in a pressurizedbeverage container and which is suitable, immediately after opening thebeverage container, for mixing the filler material into the beverageliquid surrounding the beverage container.

This object was achieved by a corresponding filler material which is ingranule form and has an average particle diameter of 1.0 to 7.0 mm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Surprisingly, it has been found that the granule form which is selectedand is essentially known gives the claimed filling properties whichpermit facilitated introduction of the active substances into the drinksliquid, beneficially influence the suspension and solubility behaviourof the filling components and, in addition, ensure the complete andhomogeneous mixing of the components of the filler material into therespective beverage liquid within a short time. In addition, thespecific filler material possible according to the invention theintroduction of food supplements or pharmaceutical active ingredientswhich customarily, in powder or granule form, experience only pooracceptance by consumers, since they either cause an unpleasantswallowing feeling, have a poor inherent taste, cause an unpleasantaftertaste, or else exhibit an only inadequate solubility in aqueoussolutions. The said advantages were unexpected in the embodimentdescribed.

There is as yet no legally binding delimitation for the term “foodsupplement”. However, recognized proposals for the definition areavailable which clearly characterize food supplements as such: in 1998food supplements were determined by the German Federal Institute forConsumer Health Protection and Veterinary Medicine (BgVV) as foods whichcontain one or more nutrients in concentrated form and have a form(tablets, capsules etc.) atypical of foods.

In Germany, the working group of expert food chemists of the Länder(“Federal States”) defined food supplements in 1998 and 1999 in such aform that they relate to foods of general consumption (provided they donot serve dietetic purposes). They are customarily offered infood-atypical form, e.g. as capsules, granules, powders, drink ampoulesand drops. In addition, food supplements serve to supplement thecustomary diet with defined nutrients, but not the energy supply. Theyare, in addition, to ensure the supply with nutritionally necessarysubstances when these cannot be fed in sufficient quantity, e.g. due toan unbalanced diet. The type and amount of these nutrients must be safeto health in the amount recommended for consumption.

Food supplements are thus generally administration forms which containnutritionally important substances, such as vitamins, minerals, aminoacids, fatty acids and other substances which, in contrast to drugs, donot need authorization at the German Federal Office for Drugs andMedical Devices and, in addition, are to be classified with foods.

The present invention thus defines the term “food supplements” as foodswhich contain at least one nutritionally important nutrient in aconcentrated amount, are present in a food-atypical form, serve overallto supplement the customary diet and ensure the supply withnutritionally necessary substances and are safe to health in the typeand amount administered. In addition, these food supplements do notrequire authorization, i.e. they are not subject to officialauthorization. In certain cases, they can serve a dietetic purpose,taking into consideration the abovementioned conditions.

A feature essential to the invention of the inventive filler material isits granule form. Surprisingly, granules suitable as filling are notrestricted to a defined form and a narrow particle size spectrum. Theindividual particles can rather also be of relatively large diameter,without thereby exhibiting a poor or delayed dissolution or suspensionbehaviour in the drinks liquid. The present invention therefore alsotakes into account preferred granules having an average particlediameter between 1.5 and 6.0 mm, particle diameters between 2.0 and 5.0mm being particularly preferred. Diameters between 3.0 and 4.0 mm are tobe considered as very particularly preferred.

According to the present invention, the granules should preferably bepresent in geometric form, and in particular in spherical, flake, rod orpolygonal form, or else in unsymmetrical form, in amorphous form, orelse in any desired mixture of forms thereof.

The particle size distribution within the filling is also not subject toany limitation. Depending on the drinks liquid and the associatedrestrictions for the dissolution or suspension behaviour of the filling,the granules can either in the main have a small particle diameter up to5.0 mm, or else be predominantly larger particles having an individualdiameter of at least 2.5 mm. The number of granules in the filling isalso freely selectable and only limited by the filler material and theshape and size of the compartment container.

As a preferred variant, the present invention recommends a filling whichcontains fines in the form of a particle fraction having an averagediameter of <1.0 mm in an amount of at most 20% by weight, based on thetotal amount of the filling, and preferably of at most 15% by weight,and in particular at most 10% by weight.

As indicated above, the filler material can have different composition,but it should preferably consist of an active component a) and anauxiliary component b). The physiologically active component a) of theclaimed filling can be a food supplement which is selected from arelatively broad spectrum. As sole condition, it must meet theconditions according to the abovementioned definition underlying atypical food supplement. Preferably, the filling is in addition selectedfrom the group of in particular non-prescription pharmaceutical activeingredients, vitamins, phospholipids, probiotics, minerals andunsaturated fatty acids; but also amino acids, phytosterols,polysaccharides and in particular cellulose, and also creatine, solubleand insoluble dietary fibres and α-lipoic acid are of course likewisesuitable. It is also possible to use here all suitable salts andderivatives of the said representatives and any desired mixturesthereof. With respect to the vitamins which come into consideration,reference is made in particular to the listing in “Vademecum for VitaminFormulations” (V. Bühler; Wiss. Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Stuttgart;2001), the contents of which disclosure are to be considered as asubstantial component of the present invention.

As particularly suitable pharmaceutically active component a),acetylsalicylic acid and derivatives thereof may be mentioned. However,representatives of vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K, riboflavin and folicacid also represent typical and very suitable representatives of theclaimed filling. In addition, creatine monohydrate, creatine pyruvateand all possible creatine/citric acid compounds, especially creatinecitrate, come into consideration. Of the group of phospholipids,phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine andphosphatidylinositol have been found to be particularly suitable. Asparticularly preferred unsaturated fatty acids in the context of thepresent invention, mention may be made of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA),eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) andarachidonic acid (ARA). Finally, glucosamine and chondroitin arelikewise to be mentioned as preferred representatives.

Particularly suitable minerals are zinc, manganese, calcium andmagnesium. Of course, as component a), use can be made of any extractswhich have bioactive constituents.

In the case of the second possible component of the claimed filling,that is the auxiliary component b), the present invention provides inparticular effervescent components, with in principle all carbondioxide-releasing compounds being suitable, and in particular carbonateand hydrogen carbonate salts coming into consideration. Depending on therespective pH range of the beverage liquid, however, organic acids arealso suitable and, in particular, citric acid, phosphoric acid, malicacid and tartaric acid, which either alone or in combination withcarbonate salts ensure the effervescent effect supporting thedissolution of the active components in the drinks liquid.

The component b) can, however, according to the invention also be adisintegrant. In this context, the present invention recommendssubstances which swell rapidly in solution, and in particular in aqueoussolution. However, suitable compounds are also compounds known ascrosslinkers, and especially mixtures thereof, with the typicalcrosslinkers sodium carboxymethylcellulose (which is also known assodium croscarmellulose), alginic acid, low-substitutedhydroxypropylcellulose and starch glycolates, and also crosslinkedN-vinyl-2-pyrrolidones (crospovidones) coming into consideration.

A particularly advantageous filling is present according to theinvention when it contains the active component a) in amounts of 35 to98% by weight and the auxiliary component b) in amounts of 2 to 65% byweight.

The auxiliary component b) should preferably be an aid for dissolving orsuspending the active component a) in the drinks liquid. It is likewiseprovided that the filling contains the auxiliary component b) in theform of a disintegrant, preferably in amounts ≦10% by weight.

Reference has already been made to the fact that the filling can consistof an active component a) and an auxiliary component b). However, thepresent invention also comprises a further alternative in which thegranules contain the active component a) and/or the auxiliary componentb), in which case, in principle, the composition of the granules can befreely selected in the inventive limits. For instance, the claimedfilling can consist of granules which are homogeneously orheterogeneously composed with respect to the constituents. This meansthat the individual granule particles have either only one of thedefined components, or a plurality. However, mixtures of these variantsare also possible. For instance, for example, granule particles can bepresent which contain only one physiologically active component and, inaddition, granule particles which have solely (formulation) aids, suchas, for example, an effervescent component and/or a disintegrant. Activecomponent(s) and auxiliary component(s) however, can also be present inone granule particle.

It is to be considered particularly preferred that the claimed fillermaterial contains the granules in core-shell form, in particular theactive component a) forming the core and the auxiliary component b)forming the shell.

In particular, the present invention provides that the filling issuitable for introducing into drinks liquids which have a pH<7.0 and, inparticular, between 2.0 and 5.0, a pH range between 2.5 and 4.5 beingconsidered as particularly preferred in this context.

Alternatively, however, the claimed filling can also be suitable forintroduction into beverage liquids which have a pH≧7.0. Here, a pH isparticularly preferred which is between 8.0 and 11.0.

The present invention also comprises a special filling which, at drinkor ambient temperatures of 4 to 20° C., has a suspension time in thedrinks liquid of 10 to 300 seconds; a suspension time is to beconsidered as particularly preferred which ranges from 30 to 120seconds.

As described above, the inventive filling can consist of granules whichhave the most varied shapes and compositions. Such granules can beproduced by mechanical and/or chemical grain enlargement measures, inparticular compression pelleting and pelletizing operations beingconsidered to be preferred in the context of the present invention.Inter alia, in this manner a filling can also be obtained, the granulesof which are instant forms, which is likewise comprised by the presentinvention. In particular, the active component a) should in this casealso, for obvious reasons, preferably be present in instant form.

For production of the inventive filling in granule form, a rollercompactor of the Macro-Pactor® type from GerteisMaschinen+Processengineering AG (Jona, Switzerland) has been found to bevery suitable. In this type of instrument, powder metering and materialguidance, compacting and comminution of the compacts are combined in oneinstrument. The combination of the choice of material of allproduct-contact materials, the design principle of the different processunits and their control by means of a stored-programmable controller(SPS) via an operator panel permits their use in accordance withinternational GMP guidelines and, in addition, simple handling of themachine operation.

The metering unit consists of the feed hopper, the metering screw andthe stuffing screw. A loosener within the feed hopper ensures firstcontinuous destruction of the resulting bridges within the startingpowder: the material falls continuously into the intake region of themetering screw. It is subsequently driven by the metering screw to thestuffing screw which takes over the material. The displaced air, as aconsequence of these slight compressions, escapes via the hopper forsmall quantities or the incorporated sinter metal filter. The compactingunit consists essentially of the two compacting rolls. The pressure roll(slave roll) is movably mounted and transmits the entire force of thehydraulically acting and controllable press unit to the material in thegap between the two rolls (slave and master roll). Its roll width isbetween 50 and 100 mm. The compacting region between the two rolls isdelimited at the sides by the collar seal. This ensures that thestarting material does not flow out of the intake region or the actualcompacting region uncompressed. A star rotor having cross-toothed rotorrods ensures comminution of flakes. “Flakes” are produced by compressionmoulding and pressing agglomeration of pulverulent products between twohorizontal rolls and are subsequently comminuted to the desired particlesize by flake crushers. The inserted granulator screen can be used indifferent sizes. For screening the corresponding granules, a tumblingscreening machine is advisable. Overall a stored-programmable controller(SPS) ensures that all essential settings with respect to preset andactual values are continuously compared and also displayed. The fullyautomated control combines gap, speed and torque control of the feedscrews (metering and stuffing screw). The gap control ensures that thetransport rate of the stuffing screw is always kept high enough so thata constant gap width with constant compacting force and constantcompacting rate results. This necessitates an SPS-controlled interactionbetween metering screw and stuffing screw. The following parameters havebeen found to be very suitable: roll width 50 to 100 mm, roll diameter100 to 250 mm, throughput performance 50 to 400 kg/h, specific pressingforce 1-20 kN/cm, scab thickness 1-4 mm, granulator screen 3-7 mm,tumbling screen 1-3 mm.

With respect to the beverage liquids surrounding the compartmentcontainer, refreshment drinks are considered by the present invention tobe particularly preferred, variants coming into consideration, inparticular which are carbonated and especially are alcoholic. Typicalrefreshment drinks in the context of the present invention areconsidered to be soft drinks, fruit-juice-containing drinks, milk-baseddrinks, which can also be fermented, beers (full beers, reduced-alcoholand alcohol-free beers), alcoholic mixed drinks, that is those termedalcopops, and in particular those of the spritzer type, and functionalfood drinks are particularly preferred.

Since the release of the filling from the compartment container which isgenerally a two-compartment container (one compartment for the filling,one gas compartment for the pressure equilibration) into the drinksliquid surrounding it is technically generally only possible when thedrinks container itself is under pressure, the present invention takesinto account a variant in which the filling is suitable for use indrinks tins whose drinks liquid is at an overpressure relative to thecompartment container. This overpressure is not subject to a minimumlimit, but it must only suffice to release the filling completely at themoment of opening the drinks container (that is generally the drinkstin) from the compartment container into the drinks liquid. Generally,an overpressure is sufficient which is ≧0.3 bar. Beverage containers tobe considered are especially typical drinks tins made of metal orplastic which are made ready to use by pushing in or pulling openingtabs. However, other drinks container variants also come intoconsideration, such as, e.g. those made of plastic/card compositematerials, provided that they withstand the pressure conditions.

By means of the inventive filling in granule form it is possible tostore physiologically active components which are labile to hydrolysisor have other compound-relevant adverse compliance properties over arelatively long time separately from drinks liquids and only to mix theminto the drinks liquid rapidly and completely at the time ofconsumption. In this manner, physiologically active components are madeaccessible through further fields of application in a noveladministration form.

A condition for achieving the said advantages is obviously completedissolution or suspension of the active component. In this case theauxiliary component on account of its property of developing gas volumesor acting as a disintegrant plays an essential role in the dissolutionor suspension of the physiologically active compounds. In this case theauxiliary component does not act as solubilizer, i.e. not as typicalemulsifier or as dispersant, but rather it acts mechanically orchemically, for example via a pH change, on the active ingredientcomponent and its solubility.

Of course, the claimed filling, in addition to the two components a) andb) can also contain other customary additives and formulation aids, suchas, for example, flavourings, colourings, sugar, release agents,acidulants, sweeteners and other substances which do not come under thedefinition of a physiologically active ingredient or a food supplementand also have no significant effect on the dissolution behaviour ofcomponent a) in the drinks liquid.

The examples hereinafter mention typical fillings according to thepresent invention.

EXAMPLES OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Example 1

A mixture consisting of 75% by weight creatine citrate and 25% by weightsodium hydrogencarbonate was granulated using a Gerteis Makro-Paktorcompactor, a granulator rotor and a screening machine in such a mannerthat the resultant granules had a particle size distribution of 98%>2.5mm and 99%<5 mm. In this case the compression force, the roll speed andscrew speed were set in such a manner that the granules completelydissolved or dispersed in water at pH=3 within one minute at 20° C.water temperature. Specific compression force 16 kN/cm, flake thickness5 mm, granulator screen 5 mm, tumbling screen 2.5 mm.

Example 2

A mixture of 20% by weight potassium hydrogencarbonate (effervescentcomponent) and a food supplement component consisting of 40% calciumlactate gluconate, 20% by weight ascorbic acid, 1% by weight zincsulphate, 14% by weight magnesium citrate, 0.5% by weight manganeseaspartate, 0.5% by weight vitamin A palmitate, 0.5% by weight vitamin Eacetate, 0.5% by weight riboflavin and also 3% by weight sodiumcarboxymethylcellulose as disintegrant was granulated using a GerteisMakro-Paktor compactor, granulator rotor and a screening machine in sucha manner that the resultant granules had a particle size distribution of97%>2 mm and 98%<5 mm. (The weight figures relate to the total weight ofthe filling). The compression force, the roll speed and the screw speedwere set in such a manner that the granules completely dissolved ordispersed in water at pH=3 within one minute at 20° C. watertemperature. Specific compression force 18 kN/cm, flake thickness 4 mm,granulator screen 5 mm, tumbling screen 2 mm.

Example 3

A mixture of 35% by weight acetylsalicylic acid, 30% by weight citricacid, 25% sodium hydrogencarbonate (effervescent component) and 10% byweight sodium carboxymethylcellulose (disintegrant) was granulated usinga Gerteis Makro-Paktor compactor, granulator rotor and a screeningmachine in such a manner that the resultant granules had a particle sizedistribution of 97%>1 mm and 98% by weight<3 mm. (The weight figuresrelate to the total weight of the filling). In this case the compressionforce, the roll speed and the screw speed were set in such a manner thatthe granules fully dissolved or dispersed in water at pH=8.5 (by meansof sodium carbonate and sodium hydrogencarbonate) within one minute at20° C. water temperature. Specific compression force 14 kN/cm, flakethickness 3 mm, granulator screen 3 mm, tumbling screen 1 mm.

Example 4

A mixture of 28% by weight calcium lactate, 21% by weight magnesiumcitrate, 18% by weight ascorbic acid, 18% by weight potassiumbicarbonate, 5% by weight potassium carbonate, 5% by weight sodiumcarboxymethylcellulose, 3% by weight zinc gluconate, 1% by weightmanganese gluconate, 1% by weight vitamin E was granulated using aGerteis Makro-Paktor compactor, a granulator rotor and a screeningmachine in such a manner that the resultant granules had a particle sizedistribution of 97% by weight>1.5 mm and 96% by weight

<3.2 mm. The resultant granules dissolved in a drink consisting of 88%by weight water and 11% by weight maize syrup having amounts of sodiumbenzoate, potassium sorbate, pectin, maltodextrin, flavour and citricacid, dissolved completely within 2 minutes at 4° C., or the granuleswere readily dispersed in this drink. Specific compression force 17kN/cm, flake thickness 4 mm, granulator screen 3.2 mm, tumbling screen1.5 mm.

1-22. (canceled)
 23. A filler material for a container having at leastone compartment, wherein the container is situated in a pressurizedbeverage container and wherein immediately after the beverage containeris opened, is suitable for mixing the filler material into the beverageliquid surrounding the container, wherein the filler material is ingranule form and has an average particle diameter of 1.0 to 7.0 mm. 24.The filler material according to claim 23, wherein said average particlediameter is between 1.5 and 6.0 mm.
 25. The filler material according toclaim 23, wherein said granules are in a form selected from the groupconsisting of spherical, flake, rodshaped, polygonal, unsymmetrical,amorphous form or a mixtures thereof.
 26. The filler material accordingto claim 23, wherein the filler material comprises fines in the form ofa particle fraction having an average diameter of <1.0 mm in an amountof at most 20% by weight, based on the total amount of the filling. 27.The filler material according to claim 23, comprising an activecomponent a) and an auxiliary component b).
 28. The filler materialaccording to claim 27, wherein active component a) is selected from thegroup consisting of a food supplement, a pharmaceutically activeingredient, a vitamin, a phospholipid, a probiotic, a mineral, anunsaturated fatty acid, an amino acid, a phytosterol and apolysaccharide, a derivate thereof of a mixture thereof.
 29. The fillermaterial according to claim 27, wherein the active component a) isselected from the group consisting of acetylsalicylic acid, arepresentative of the vitamin groups A, B, C, D, E and K, riboflavin,folic acid, creatine monohydrate, creatine pyruvate, creatine/citricacid compounds, in particular creatine citrate, glucosamine,chondroitin, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylcholine,phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, docosahexaenoic acid(DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) andarachidonic acid (ARA) and also the minerals calcium, magnesium,manganese and zinc.
 30. The filler material according to claim 27,wherein the auxiliary component b) is an effervescent component.
 31. Thefiller material according to claim 27, wherein the effervescentcomponent is selected from the group consisting of a carbonate salt, ahydrogen carbonate salt, an organic acid, a disintegrant and acrosslinker.
 32. The filler material according to claim 23, wherein theactive component a) is present in an amount of from 35 to 98% by weightand the auxiliary component b) is present in an amount of from 2 to 65%by weight.
 33. The filler material according to claim 23, wherein saidauxiliary component b) is an aid for dissolving the active component a)in the drinks liquid.
 34. The filler material according to claim 33,wherein said auxiliary component b) is a disintegrant.
 35. The fillermaterial according to claim 23, wherein the component b) is aformulation aid selected from the group consisting of a bulking agent, arelease agent, a flavour substance, a coloring and a sweetener.
 36. Thefiller material according to claim 23, wherein the granules contain atleast one of an active component a) or an auxiliary component b). 37.The filler material according to claim 23, it contains the granules incore-shell form, in particular the active component a) forming the coreand the auxiliary component b) forming the shell.
 38. The fillermaterial of claim 37, wherein the active component a) is contained inthe core, and auxiliary component b) is contained in the shell.
 39. Thefiller material according to claim 23, suitable for introducing intobeverage liquids which have a pH<7.0.
 40. The filler material accordingto claim 23, suitable for introduction into beverage liquids which havea pH≧7.0.
 41. The filler material according to claim 23 wherein at atemperature of from 4 to 20° C., the filler material has a suspensiontime in the drinks liquid of 10 to 300 seconds.
 42. The filler materialaccording to claim 23, wherein the granules were produced by mechanicalor chemical grain enlargement compression pelleting or pelletizing underthe action of a compression force between 1 and 20 kN/cm.
 43. The fillermaterial according to claim 23, comprising an active component a) in aninstant form.
 44. The filler material according to claim 23 wherein thedrink liquid is a refreshment drink.
 45. The filler material accordingto claim 23, suitable for a refreshment drink, a soft drink, a fruitjuice-containing drink, a milk-based drink, a beer and an alcoholicmixed drink.
 46. The filler material according to claim 23, suitable fora drink tin whose drinks liquid has an overpressure compared with thecompartment container of ≧0.3 bar.
 47. The filler material of claim 24,wherein the average particle diameter is between 2.0 and 5.0 mm.
 48. Thefiller material of claim 26, wherein said fines are present in an amountof up to 15% by weight.
 49. The filler material of claim 24, whereinsaid fines are present in an amount of up to 10% by weight.
 50. Thefiller material according to claim 28, wherein said active component a)is selected from the group consisting of cellulose, creatine, α-lipoicacid and dietary fiber.
 51. The filler material according to claim 27,wherein said effervescent component is selected from the groupconsisting of citric acid, phosphoric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid,carboxymethylcellulose, alginic acid, a low-substitutedhydroxypropylmethylellulose, a starch glycolate and a crosslinkedN-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone.
 52. The filler material according to claim 34,wherein the distintergrant is present in an amount of less than or equalto 10% by weight.
 53. A beverage container comprising: a first containerhaving at least one compartment having a pressure therein and having anopening; and a beverage in said container; wherein said compartmentcontains the filler material of claim 23.